Production of narrow curvilinear elastic fabric



Aug. 12, 1930. T AWL Y 1,772,945

PRODUCTION OF NARROW CURVILINEAR ELASTIC FABRIC Filed March 1 1929Fatenled Ange l2, ihfail GHARLES I. HAWLEY, F EfiLDilN, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR 'llO MOORE FABRIC GOM'PANY, 0F EAWTUCKET, EEODE ISLAND, ACQR?QRATION 9F EEGDE ISLAND PRGDUCTIGH OF NAREORV CURVILENEAR ELASTICFABRIC Application filed March 1,

This invention relates to the weaving of curvilinear elastic fabric andrelates more particularly to the production of such fabric in a narrowWare loom.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved mechanismfor weaving curvilinear elastic fabric and an improved method ofoperation thereof by which such fabric may be rapidly and economicallypro- 10 duced and by which it may be provided with an inherent andpermanent curvilinear set.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations ofpartsvwhich will be hereinafter described and more particu larly pointedout in the appended claims.

One form of mechanism adapted for the carrying out of my invention isshown in the drawings, in which thefigure is a perspective view of partsof a narrow ware loom on which curvilinear elastic fabric may be wovenby my improved process.

Referring to the drawing, which is more or less diagrammatic, l haveshown such parts of a narrow ware loom as are necessary to disclose andexplain my invention. 1

I have shown a breast beam 10, and a lay 11 provided with guide blocks12 for a narrow ware shuttle (not shown) and with a reed 13 which ispreferably graduated, with the dents placed more closely together toward the left hand end, as viewed in the drawing.

1 have also shown a plurality of harnesses 15, and a warp guide-roll 17positioned substantially at the rear of the harnesses. Elastic warpthreads W are supplied from a cylindrical warp beam 20, rotatablymounted and provided with a suitable friction device 22,

Non-elastic binder warps B are supplied from a tapered or conical warpbeam 30, also rotatabiy mounted and provided with a friction device 82.lhe warp threads W and B pass from the warp beams over a guide-bar 34and through an assembly reed 35 to the guide-roll 17. l The woven fabricF passes over a guideroll on the breast-beam it which guide- 5 roll maybe tapered as indicated the drawing. The fabric F then passes around a1923. Serial No. 343,672.

cylindrical take up roll and a cylindrical guide-roll 51 and is wound upon a conical or tapered cloth roll 52. The roll 50 is mounted on a shaft5a, which is positively driven.

The usual mechanism is provided for raising and lowering the harnessesand for reciprocating the shuttle.

Production of curvilinear elastic fabric by the mechanism described isaccomplished as follows As the weaving progresses, the woven tabric isdrawn downward at a substantially uniform rate throughout its width bythe cylindrical take-up roll 50, and the rubber warp threads W aresupplied at a uniform rate of feed and under substantially uniformtension or retardation from the cylindrical warp beam 20. Y

'lhe binder warps B are drawn ofi of the tapered or conical warp beam 30against the retarding effect of the friction device 32. Obviousl thewarp threads at the. larger end. of t e warp beam 30 will be fed morerapidly from the revolving warp beam than the threads atthe smaller end,and will thus be under less tension as they are presented at the weavingpoint. The tight binder warps from the small and or the beam 30 will bebound closely about the elastic war threads W with which they areassociate while the slack binder warps from the large end of the warpbeam 30 will be more loosely bound about their associated elastic warpthreads W,

It is the custom to weave all elastic warp threads in suchiabric instretched or elongated condition and it is found that the more looselythe elastic warp threads W are bound into the fabric, the greater willbe their shrinkage or contractiomwhen released from the weaving tension.Accordingly, the narrow fabric produced as above described will assume acurvilinear set when freed from the take-up roll 50, with the tightbinder threads from the small end of the beam 30 disposed at the longedge of the curvilinear fabric.

This curvilinear effect will be produced to a certain extent if the reed13 is uniformly graduated throughout its length, but the ct fee isiaterially increased i a raduated is used by which the arp threads arecrowded toward that edge of the fabric where the more strongly tensionedbinder warp threads are found. The crowding of the warp threadslaterally still further prevents contraction of the threads when thefabric is released.

This method of weaving a curvilinear elastic fabric has been found verysatisfactory in use and the fabric is produced with substantially thesame speed and economy as straight fabric of similar width.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I .do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is s 1. In a narrow ware loom,in combination, a single cylindrical warp beam for elastic warp threads,a single tapered warp beam for non-elastic binder warp threads, weavingmechanism, and a'take-up device by which the entire width of fabric istaken up at sub stantially uniformvspeed with the elastic warp threadsunder substantially uniform tension and with the binder warps decreasingintension toward the larger end of the tapered warp beam, whereby acurvilinear set is given to said fabric.

2. In a narrow ware loom, in combination, means to supply elastic warpthreads at a uniform rate and under uniform tension, means to supplybinder warps at a rate relatively decreasing toward one edge of thefabric, weaving mechanism, and means to take up the woven fabric at auniform rate throughout its width.

3. In a narrow ware loom, in combination, means to supply elastic warpthreads at a uniform rate and under tension, means to crowd the warpthreads more closely together toward one edge of the fabric, means tosupply binder warps at a rate relatively decreasing toward the moreclosely crowded edge of the fabric, weaving mechanism, and means to takeup the woven fabric at a uni form rate throughout its width.

4. In a narrow ware loom, a' single cylindrical warp beam to supplyelastic warp to a piece of curvilinear elastic fabric, a single taperedwarp beam to supply non-elastic binder warps for said piece of fabric,weaving mechanism, and a cylindrical take-up roll for the woven fabric,whereby the elastic warps will be more closely bound into the fabric atthe edge thereof corresponding to the smaller end of said tapered warpbeam.

5. In a narrow ware loom, a single cylindrical warp beam to supplyelastic warp to a piece of curvilinear elastic fabric, a single taperedwarp beam to supply nonelastic binder warps for said piece of fabric,means to crowd the warp threadsmore closely together toward the smallerend of tapered beam, weaving mechanism, and a cylin= drical take-u rollfor the woven fabric whereby the e astic warps will be more closelywound into the fabric at the ed e thereof corresponding to the smalleren of said tapered warp beam.

6. In a narrow ware loom, means to supply uniform lengths of elasticwarp threads to a piece of fabric, means to supply binder warp threadsprogressively increasing in length toward one edge of the fabric,weaving mechanism, and take-up mechanism acting uniformly on all partsof the fabric.

7. In a narrow ware loom, means to supply uniform len the of elasticwarp threads .to a piece of 'abric, means to supply binder warp threadsin lengths progressively increasing toward one edge of the fabric, meansto crowd the warp threads together toward the edge where the shorterlengths of nonelastic warp threads are supplied, weaving mechanism, andtake-up mechanism acting uniformly on all parts of the fabric.

8. The method of weaving a piece of narrow curvilinear elastic fabricwhich consists in supplying elastic warp threads at a uni form rate offeed and under substantially uniform tension throughout the width of thefabric, providing non-elastic binder warp threads at a rate of feedgradually increasing toward one edge of said piece of fabric, insertingfilling in said fabric, and taking up said fabric at a uniform ratethroughout its width.

9. The method of weaving a piece of narrow curvilinear elastic fabricwhich consists in supplying elastic warp threads at a uniform rate offeed and under substantially uniform tension throughout the width of thefabric, providing non-elastic binder warp threads at a rate of feedgradually increasing toward one edge of said piece of fabric, crowdingthe warp threads toward the edge of the fabric where the binder warpshave the less feed, inserting filling in said fabric, and taking up saidfabric at a uniform .rate throughout its width.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CHARLES 'll. HAWLEY.

